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Fight boredom with these cheap and free ideas



“The opposite of happiness isn’t sadness, it's boredom,” Tim Ferris said in his book The 4-Hour Workweek. How true is that? When you consider your life unhappy, the solution is often doing something different. Sometimes that’s going out with friends, or taking a vacation, or taking on a new, exciting job.


Although boredom is a normal part of life, too much can be detrimental to mental health. This July, celebrate National Anti-Boredom Month by trying new activities.


Start by downloading a random wheel or creating a jar of things to do that you can draw from when you need a little excitement in your life.


Not sure what activities to include? Here are a few ideas to do when you’re stuck inside:

  1. Write a short story, poem, or novel.

  2. Go down the rabbit hole on a topic in which you’ve always been interested.

  3. Try origami.

  4. Make time for a movie marathon of your favorite genre or series.

  5. Build a fort because you’re never too old to have fun.

  6. Write a letter to someone you care about.

  7. DJ your own family dance party.

  8. Do something artsy – like book folding, painting, tie-die, or jewelry.

  9. Try a new podcast – use this random generator to find a new podcast to listen to.

  10. Go outside of your comfort zone to try something new like watching a movie in a genre you don’t normally watch or downloading an audiobook.

  11. Try an adult color book or app.

  12. Change up your home décor.

  13. Try a new recipe. – budgetbytes.com

  14. Make a wish list.

  15. Make a bucket list and plan your first item to cross off.

  16. Write to a deployed soldier.

  17. Turn off all your technology and let boredom inspire you to do whatever comes to mind.

  18. Treat yourself with an at-home spa.

  19. Try a new exercise routine from home.

  20. Do one task you’ve been putting off for months.

  21. Order take-out for an item you’ve never had before.

  22. Learn about a new hobby you’re interested in.

  23. Make homemade soft pretzels. - link recipe

  24. Learn morse code.

  25. Learn a new language.

  26. Organize something.

  27. Try growing an indoor herb garden.


To do around your community:

  1. Sign up for a volunteer opportunity.

  2. Go to the library and pick up a book you wouldn’t normally read.

  3. Go walking in a part of town you haven’t been to before.

  4. Go sightseeing in your hometown.

  5. Go stargazing.

  6. Watch the sunrise.

  7. Go to a new park or hiking trail.

  8. Take your pet to a pet-friendly store.

  9. Check out a small business in your area you’ve never been to before.

  10. Go to your favorite restaurant and order something you’ve never tried before.

  11. Try a new kind of cuisine.

  12. Make chalk art on your driveway or sidewalk.

  13. Find a new outfit at the thrift store.

  14. Attend a town meeting.

  15. Take a surprise treat to someone in your community.

  16. Take part in a free class or group that you’ve never considered before.

  17. Take a long drive going nowhere.

  18. Go foraging.

  19. Pick your own bouquet of wildflowers from a park or field.

  20. Take a different way to work, school or home.

  21. Do something silly.

  22. Dance in the rain.

  23. Do something you’ve always wanted to try but kept putting off.

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